Loving the Lost
by briskit
Summary: Rated R for later chapters to cover myself... OC... please r&r..
1. Dead Bodies and Departed Souls

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of this, that belongs to J.K Rowling (lucky woman!), except for the plot... and Sylannae... she's mine as well.  
  
I am just a worthless liar. I am just an imbecile. I will only complicate you. Trust in me and fall as well. I will find a center in you. I will chew it up and leave, I will work to elevate you just enough to bring you down.  
  
~Tool, Sober  
  
Chapter One - Dead Bodies and Departed Souls  
  
She walked slowly towards the body... it was pale, and blue in some places. *dead?* she thought to herself quickly as she crouched in the middle of the battlefield. Taking the limp arm, she curled her fingers under the wrist and tried desperately to find a pulse. It grunted, twitching at the touch of a warm hand.  
  
His eyes opened, focusing badly until he blinked a few times. Everything ached in his body, even his mind. There was a slight probing sensation in the back of his head, as though someone was pushing to get in and then in a sudden interest, it all came back to him. The war, the blood, his own death. *but I'm not dead* he thought confused as he saw the young woman before him.  
  
***  
  
"It won't be long 'Mione." Ron puffed, running into the Great Hall.  
  
They should have been out partying, after all, Voldemort had been decimated, by Harry of course, but still, he was never going to come back, and they should have been partying. Instead, they sat in the Great Hall, waiting for Harry to come back. He was in the hospital wing, having a few bruises and aches repaired, and more than a few stitches applied to gashes and cuts in his skin.  
  
"Is he alright?" Hermione asked, worried for her best-friend.  
  
"He'll do fine, but he's going to need some looking after... for the rest of his life." Ron replied, whispering the last six words.  
  
"Is he coming down on his own?" Hermione asked.  
  
"No, he can't." Ron said, eyes fixed on the doors.  
  
There was a bang as the doors front doors in the Entrance Hall flung open, and a young woman ran in, carrying a very pale figure. She obviously knew where to go, because she ran straight up the stairs to the hospital wing.  
  
"Another close to death." Hermione muttered.  
  
"There are too many of them." Ron sighed, shaking his head.  
  
"What were you expecting when we finalized plans to take Voldemort off the planet?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Off the planet?" Harry asked, walking in slowly, Minerva McGonagall guiding him.  
  
"Harry." Hermione whispered, jumping up and closing him in a long hug.  
  
"Hermione... I..." Harry started, sitting down after she had finally let go.  
  
"You're blind." Hermione said sadly, "You've lost all colour in your eyes."  
  
Harry nodded slowly, a tear dripping from his colourless eyes and splashing on the cold stone floor.  
  
"That's alright Harry, we can help you, it's not like we have anything else to do." Ron urged.  
  
Harry smiled, "Guys, you have a life together to have, enjoy it while you can. I can find somewhere peaceful, and finally start to live my life the way I've always wanted to be since coming to Hogwarts... quietly."  
  
"No Harry. We're going to look after you, even if I have to baby you." Hermione persisted.  
  
"Yeah, we can't leave you alone." Ron agreed.  
  
"Yes you can. Harry can survive on his own now. He may be blind, but there is more than one type of sight." Said a velvety voice in Harry's defense.  
  
In the doorway to the Great Hall stood a young woman, around their age. Her bright purple hair was in tiny plaits, all over her head, and where her pupils should have been the only black in her eyes, hers were fully black, and small yellow stars moved, as though inside her eyes. She wore a long black dress, hugging tightly to her hips as they swayed when she walked towards them.  
  
"Syl?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Herm, nice to see you again, and you Ron. Albus told me what happened, and I thought I might come down and make sure you aren't pushing Harry into being cared for like a child." The young woman remarked, her black lips forming a slight smile.  
  
"I thought you were..." Ron muttered.  
  
"No, I was on a mission for Albus, and the only way I could perform it was if you all thought me dead." She said, leaning on one of the nearby chairs.  
  
"What're you doing here?" Harry asked, looking directly at her.  
  
"You should be able to read the answer to that." She smiled, "I found someone on the battlefield, barely alive. I brought him in for Poppy to help."  
  
"Oliver." Harry whispered.  
  
She nodded, "I thought he was dead at first, but there was still a glimmer of hope. Poppy says it will be awhile before I can go back and see him again."  
  
"Oh Sylannae, I'm so sorry." Hermione whispered, moving to hug her as the outlandish-looking woman started to sob gently.  
  
"It... It's alright Herm. I'm just glad he's not dead, no matter the past." Sylannae said, wiping away the lone tears.  
  
***  
  
Sylannae had moved to England from Australia when she was 15, and started at Hogwarts in her sixth year. Being sorted into Gryffindor, meant that she met Hermione, Harry and Ron, and became good friends with them. The one thing she had that they didn't was her telepathic and psychic abilities, which had been passed onto her from her great-grandmother. In more recent years, her abilities had come into great use against a common enemy, and after she was asked by Albus Dumbledore, to spy on Voldemort, in their last year at Hogwarts, she faked her death so that she could leave without distraction. That was where she had been for the last three years, and now, although she knew she shouldn't have, she came back to right the wrongs she had done.  
  
In their last year at Hogwarts, Oliver had taken over the position as Flying teacher, and Sylannae had become very close to him in that year. As a couple, everyone said they were perfect for each other, but when she faked her own death, she hadn't even told Oliver what she was doing. She knew this had hurt him greatly.  
  
***  
  
"How are you feeling Harry?" Sylannae asked after breakfast the next day.  
  
"I woke up with a bit of a headache, but it seems to be subsiding now." Harry smiled to her.  
  
"Maybe we should see what's going on in your head, if you don't mind." Sylannae suggested, "That way you'll know what you can do."  
  
Harry nodded and turned in the chair to face her, focusing only on her. Sylannae closed her eyes, breathing slowly and started to push her mind into his, melding the two to find what she was looking for.  
  
It was dim, the corridor made of a substance Sylannae couldn't place, and every few hundred metres, there was a large wooden door. At random, Sylannae chose one, opening it slowly and peeking inside. The first few were only memories, and then, she came across one that looked familiar. The doors shone with light, as though the wood was light itself. Placing her palm on the door, she smiled, this was where his power was, within this room. She looked down at the door, and noticing no handle, tried to push it with her hand. It wouldn't budge.  
  
"Keenansa Demonitra, heno putra openus." She whispered, pushing gently on the door.  
  
She was thrown back by the force, her body lying flaccidly on the stone floor of the Great Hall. Her head had hit the stone first, breaking the movement.  
  
"Sylannae!" Ron cried, rushing over.  
  
________________________________________________________________________ A/N: Hope you like. Please review, throw ideas at me so I can continue writing please?? I live for reviews, so that I can write another chapter! ________________________________________________________________________ 


	2. Doors of Deception

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of this, that belongs to J.K Rowling (lucky woman!), except for the plot... and Sylannae... she's mine as well.  
  
You're bound to lose the game, There's no one else to blame You play so safe when you're not risking enough You are doomed to be undone, I swear I'll be the one To bring you down  
  
It's all your fault, Cause you got caught Untouchable. You think you're untouchable You know... No ones untouchable  
  
~Garbage, Untouchable  
  
Chapter Two - Doors of Deception  
  
Sylannae shook her head and groaned, "Fucking doors." She mumbled quietly.  
  
"You alright Syl?" Hermione asked.  
  
Sylannae looked up and saw the auras she knew as two of her best-friends, she smiled, "I'm fine, damn wonderboy over there isn't even working at full- capacity and I still got blown out."  
  
Harry opened his mouth slowly, starting to speak, "What did you do Sylannae? This feels weird. There's something else in my head still."  
  
"Have you ever come across a door that seems to be made of light before Harry?" Sylannae asked, jumping back into the seat urgently.  
  
"Once, I never opened it though. I couldn't, it was a dream." Harry replied.  
  
"Oh damn. That's your power that I just unleashed, I just hope it was good. I found the door and a simple set of words opened it, but then I got thrown out." Sylannae said.  
  
"What do you mean oh damn?" Hermione asked as they crowded around.  
  
"Well, normally when you unlock a hidden power, you get the chance to see if it's good or bad. I didn't get that chance, it was too powerful." Sylannae explained.  
  
Hermione pulled a face much like the one that adorned Ron's face at the time and asked, "How will we know if it's bad?"  
  
"Usually they start doing evil things first, but you never know." Sylannae replied, stating the obvious.  
  
They started to edge away from Harry, looks of worry on their faces, "Don't worry guys," Harry laughed, "I'm not going to do anything fiendish. Remember, I'm the boy who lived, the one that saved the world?"  
  
"He's got a good point there, I mean, I'm not malevolent." Sylannae reasoned.  
  
Hermione's stiff shoulders dropped, "Sorry Harry. You know, maybe your new powers will be useful."  
  
"I'm not using them to find you a boyfriend." Harry stated.  
  
"I meant in general." Hermione sighed.  
  
Sylannae laughed, covering her face with her pale hands, "You still don't have one?"  
  
Hermione glared at Sylannae, "No. I. don't." she said through clenched teeth.  
  
"Sorry." Sylannae smiled, suppressing her urges.  
  
"Sylannae, Oliver's waking up." One of the St. Mungo nurses called from the doors.  
  
Before they were even sure they'd heard the call, Sylannae was up and out the door, taking the steps two at a time. They followed quickly, trying to keep her pace. She was too fast for them.  
  
***  
  
"I... I'm dead, aren't I?" Oliver croaked from his lying position on the bed in the hospital wing.  
  
"Actually, you're about as far from it as you can get." Sylannae smiled.  
  
"S... Syl?" Oliver asked, trying to move.  
  
"I think that's what they call me." She replied, putting her hand over his.  
  
"Stop playing pranks on me. I'm dead, aren't I." Oliver said urgently.  
  
"No Oliver, you aren't." Hermione interrupted, puffing and panting from her run up the stairs.  
  
"Hermione?" Oliver painfully turned his head to the side to get a better view, "Harry? Ron?"  
  
"Yeah, we're here mate. Syl found you on the battlefield and brought you in. We weren't sure if you were going to make it." Ron smiled.  
  
"Syl... you're... alive?" Oliver asked, looking her over.  
  
"Most certainly am." Sylannae sniffed, wiping away the tears with her other hand.  
  
"How can you? I saw... but... " Oliver stuttered at a loss for words.  
  
"I had to go... I had to make you all believe I was dead. Albus asked me to infiltrate Voldemort's lair and I could only do it if you thought me dead." Sylannae explained, "I'm so sorry Oliver, I never wanted to hurt you."  
  
Oliver closed his eyes, twisting his fingers into hers and smiled weakly.  
  
***  
  
It wasn't over yet, he knew it. There was a feeling of impending doom in the air, he liked that. He would have another chance to win, another chance to survive in this god-forsaken world.  
  
He flinched as he sewed the scraps of skin hanging limply from his hand where his wand had been blown away, each time, growling and muttering to himself.  
  
Looking in the mirror, he saw the pale face of a young man looking back at him, staring at him as though he had something his reflection wanted. The barely audible knocking on the door broke the gaze and he turned to the door, needle pinched tightly between two thin fingers.  
  
"Master, Frinholl has heard something he thinks you should know." The small house-elf said quietly , hoping he wasn't going to be beaten for his intrusion.  
  
"What is it?" the young man asked, his harsh voice causing the house-elf to flinch slightly.  
  
"Your enemy Master, he has been blinded. There are rumors that he has gained other powers from his fight with He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named, but none say what they are. Your enemy cannot see a thing Master." Frinholl replied.  
  
*That is a good thing, blinded. The little twerp will pay now.* he thought before saying, "Gather the final forces. We will make a trip to Hogwarts as soon as the barrier is removed."  
  
"Yes Master." Frinholl obediently said, removing himself from the room quickly.  
  
His eyes drifted back to the mirror, their deadness staring straight back as his lips formed a sneering smile.  
  
***  
  
"Fred and George say they will be around sometime after twelve tomorrow. They want to make sure that you're alright. George actually sounded worried about you." Sylannae smiled.  
  
"I'll be sure to keep an eye out for pranks." Oliver smiled as he sat up in bed a week later.  
  
"And don't accept any sweets." Ron laughed, remembering the last time Oliver had seen his brothers.  
  
Oliver had spent two days as a bald chicken after Fred and George had offered him one of their meal sweets. It tasted like chicken, and you definitely felt full afterwards, though there was the little problem of looking like a bald one after you ate it.  
  
"I'll remember." Oliver grinned.  
  
"Hey guys, Albus has something he wants us all to hear." Hermione said, peeking her head around the doors.  
  
"I'll be back soon." Sylannae said, kissing Oliver on the cheek and leaving with Ron.  
  
***  
  
"And the last thing on the list, I am going to take down the barrier tomorrow. If everyone can keep their eyes and ears out for anything even slightly particular, it would be greatly appreciated." Albus said as they sat in his office.  
  
"No... you want me to... I can't... never..." Sylannae muttered.  
  
"What's wrong Syl?" Hermione asked, looking her way worried.  
  
"Clothenus mindocu planto finripa." Sylannae mumbled, "Clothenus mindocu planto finripa." Each time getting louder and more urgent, "Clothenus mindocu planto finripa. Clothenus mindocu planto finripa. Clothenus mindocu planto finripa."  
  
Suddenly she fell to her knees, weeping loudly, hands covering her eyes in pain and frustration.  
  
"Syl?" Ron said, trying to get her attention.  
  
"I'm so sorry, I have to go. Look after Oliver for me, tell him I have something to finish that I should have never started." Sylannae whispered as she stood up, leaving the room quickly.  
  
***  
  
The night was dark and cold, even with the cloak pulled tightly around her small frame, she froze, trudging through the snow to a familiar place, too familiar.  
  
*If I die here, then let it be for the ultimate good.* she thought angrily as she stepped up the large stone stairs to the front door, *stupid fucking door, openus.*  
  
Unsurprising to her, the door creaked open as she thought the word and she moved inside, her eyes not lifting from the stone floor, covered with dark rugs and blood splatters.  
  
"Ah, Sylannae my dear, you look frozen. Come have a drink with me." She heard a cold voice offer.  
  
"No thankyou. I would like to be alone in my misery." She declined, whispering, "bottonus comine" and catching the bottle of whiskey as it slid comfortably into her hand.  
  
"You are going to ruin your talent by drinking so much dear." The cold voice remarked, a malicious chuckle coming from the throat.  
  
Sylannae stopped her trudge up the stairs and turned to the voice, staring at it angrily, the beads of light dancing behind her eyes dangerously enticing him to continue, "Do I look like I give a shit?" she retorted, "They can't make me happy, so I don't care anymore."  
  
"I know of something that might make you happy." The voice drawled.  
  
"I already know. You are forgetting something. I am the only one who could have opened that door, and I did without knowing what lay behind it. Just because it's happened this way, doesn't mean you have to thank me, I want nothing from you, except a promise that you won't abuse the gift you are about to receive." Sylannae snarled, turning away and starting to walk up the stairs again.  
  
Behind her, she heard the door open and the dark voice gasp before she disappeared into the shadows to be alone.  
  
***  
  
"What're we going to do? Now Sylannae and Harry are gone, we have lost our front line." Hermione urged.  
  
"We still have most people from the last fight, and although they won't like it, we can convince them to fight." Ron replied.  
  
"Against what Ron? We don't even know what we're up against, or if there is anything to be up against in the first place." Oliver asked.  
  
"I don't know Oliver, but I don't like the fact that Sylannae ran out saying she had something to finish and Harry disappeared the very same day." Ron said.  
  
"Maybe we're just paranoid." Hermione shrugged.  
  
"No, it is more than paranoia Hermione." Albus sighed, "I have just had a report coming in from the Ministry, saying that the Malfoy Mansion is seeming a little too full, considering we should have just wiped them all out."  
  
"Draco?" Hermione whispered, "I thought he died two years ago."  
  
"He may have, but we don't have anyone in there to say otherwise." Albus told them as a large tawny eagle owl perched itself on the open window nearby, "Or maybe we do?" He untied the letter and unrolled it quickly reading before handing it to Hermione to read. He walked away slowly, the owl having hopped on his arm.  
  
"This will be the last correspondence you receive from me until I know this is over once and for all. Draco is alive, and I know I should have told you that sooner, for I knew, but did not think he would do such a thing. Harry arrived here not long after me, and thankfully I haven't seen him since, as I am sure he would try to kill me under suspicion of treachery. I hope this reaches you, because I already miss you again, and I want you to know that I am so eternally sorry for what I have unleashed." Hermione paused in her reading, "There are Death-Eaters flocking in from all over the world to the Mansion, I never knew that there were so many left. I think Draco might have contemplated this happening earlier and spread his individual follower around the world so that he could come back and finish what Voldemort couldn't. They are currently writing up battle plans, but I have not been able to get a look at them as yet. Please tell Oliver I still love him, and I do not mean to cause him so much pain, but I released the beast, so I must put it back. Sincerely, Syl."  
  
"That clears up most of our worries." Oliver sighed, looking over the parchment as Hermione handed it to him.  
  
"Yeah, and creates more." Ron added, "We can't compete with both Malfoy's army and Harry. With Harry, they have the only thing most of us have relied on for the last few decades."  
  
"So we will have to learn to do things without him." Hermione said with authority  
  
_______________________________________________________________________ A/N: This chapter was a little longer... don't forget to clickety click! ________________________________________________________________________ 


	3. Favours and Family

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of this, that belongs to J.K Rowling (lucky woman!), except for the plot... and Sylannae... she's mine as well.  
  
I need something to do, need to feel the sameness in you. I feel the reason as it's leaving me... no, not again. It's quite deceiving as I'm feeling that which made me bad.  
  
~Korn, Make Me Bad  
  
Chapter Three - Favors and Family.  
  
Sylannae tossed in her sleep, it was her own fault, her mistake, that had plunged the Wizarding world into darkness again. She had never had more than two nightmares in one night, and this would be the fourth night in a row that she'd had constant ones, from the moment her eyes closed, to when they opened again in the dull morning light, tired and sore.  
  
"Syl, Syl, wake up sweetie." A soothing voice called to her from reality.  
  
"Go away." Sylannae grumbled, trying to turn over in the bed.  
  
"That would be no fun." The voice laughed.  
  
"Why can't I move?" Sylannae asked, opening her eyes and squinting.  
  
"I am doing my partner-in-crime a favor. He says it is something he has wanted to do for some time now." He replied.  
  
"Harry, what have you done?" Sylannae asked, starting to try and undo the ties that held her to the bed.  
  
"As I said," he paused, grinning widely, "I'm doing Draco a favor."  
  
"Fine," Sylannae growled, "Why am I tied up then?"  
  
She twisted he ankle a little, the cord digging further into her skin. Harry's white eyes seemed to light up as he spoke, "Real sorry Syl, but we have to dispose of those that aren't going to be any help to us, because if we have traitors among our ranks, then we become very vunerable."  
  
"You're no better Harry, you killed their Master." Sylannae snarled, whispering under her breath, "openus darseen ilment crantoc."  
  
A surge of pain ran through Sylannae's body like she had been struck by lightning, and it heaved, convulsing on the bed. She could taste the warm, salty blood in her mouth, as it tipped over her lips and ran down her chin.  
  
"Well, well. That was exciting, wasn't it?!" Harry chuckled, "You can't use your magic on me, I've put up a shield against it, and now you know what happens, I expect you won't be doing it again."  
  
Sylannae closed her eyes, blocking out the sound of his voice, before muttering the words again, "openus darseen ilment crantoc." Another surge of pain ran up her, "openus darseen ilment crantoc." The pain numbed by her concentration, "openus darseen ilment crantoc."  
  
A single face filtered into her mind, plain brown hair, matching eyes, a smile that made her heart melt... "Oliver." She whispered.  
  
"He can't help you now Syl. Oliver's sitting at Hogwarts hoping with all his heart that you'll return." Harry laughed.  
  
She opened her eyes, the black-starred orbs moved to stare straight at Harry, eyebrows narrowed as she muttered, "openus darseen ilment crantoc, openus darseen ilment crantoc, openus darseen ilment crantoc." Each time, the pain moving through her body like a knife, the blood in her mouth flowing over onto the bed in ripples.  
  
"It will do you no good Syl. You can't kill yourself here." Harry smiled.  
  
"I'm not trying to kill myself." Sylannae snarled through clenched teeth, breaking the stare.  
  
*Oh god, I hope this works.* she thought, pushing her mind away from her body, trying to break free. *I need to see Albus.* she thought, her mind apparating to Hogwarts. *Albus! Albus* her mind called, looking around the Entrance Hall as he walked out of the shadows.  
  
*Sylannae, what is the matter? You haven't split your mind and body since the last time something was really wrong, and you're bleeding* Albus thought, knowing she would get the message.  
  
*Harry... Draco... they are trying to kill me, I have to come back to Hogwarts, but they have cursed the room so I cannot do any magic. Do you know of any way that I might be able to get out?* Sylannae thought, her mind's vision of her hand trying to wipe away the blood.  
  
*There is one. Put all your eggs in one basket and do it.* Albus smiled softly, sending instructions on how to do it, *Although, you have never unleashed your powers, have you?* he asked.  
  
*No, and I don't think I will after what I've seen Harry do.* Sylannae shook her head, *Thankyou grandfather.*  
  
*Anything for you.* he smiled slightly, watching as her mind's vision aparrated.  
  
"What is she muttering about?" Sylannae first heard the cold voice sneer.  
  
There was a pause, "I do not know, something is stopping me from getting into her mind."  
  
"I haven't unlocked my powers Harry, so my mental barriers aren't up." Sylannae smiled, opening her emotionless eyes.  
  
"She was saying something before too, openus darseen ilment crantoc." Harry said, instinctively putting his hands to his head and kneeling on the floor heavily.  
  
"What have you done bitch?" Draco asked stunned as he watch Harry start to scream and rock on the floor.  
  
"I did nothing Draco. Harry was the one that said the incantation, not me." Sylannae smiled, a glimmer of hope coming into her eyes, "untiforn cornexus."  
  
The cords around her wrists and ankles undid themselves and Sylannae sat up on the bed, rubbing her ankles as she smiled to Draco.  
  
"How... the shield?" Draco stuttered.  
  
"I put your only supernatural talent out of commission for awhile Draco, hope you don't get vengeful on me." Sylannae smiled.  
  
Draco lunged at her with a knife that he had pulled from the folds of his robes, hoping to kill her. She moved out of the way, only just in time.  
  
"You little whore!" Draco screamed over Harry, "What did you do to him?"  
  
"I ripped the power from his mind and put it in a box. Only I can unlock it, so you are now in grave danger. Goodbye Draco, maybe you will learn the error of your ways when Harry stops screaming." Sylannae smiled, aparating away.  
  
________________________________________________________________________ A/N: *knock knock* *who's there?* *click the button! Go on! Do it!* ________________________________________________________________________ 


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